BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — NOTE: The above video is from a previous report on the vandalism.
The Bloomington Police Department made an arrest for the vandalism at the Islamic Center of Bloomington.
Officers arrested Adam L. Walls, 32, on a felony charge of institutional criminal mischief. An officer with the Bloomington Police Department saw the surveillance video and identified the suspect as possibly being Walls.
It happened at around 1:15 a.m. Oct. 18 at the Islamic Center of Bloomington, located near East Third Street and South High Street.
Leaders at the mosque called the damage "fairly extensive," and included destruction of picnic tables, HVAC equipment and fence panels. The Council on American-Islamic Relations obtained surveillance footage of the incident, showing a man dump trash onto the grass, break tables and damage equipment around the building.
Bloomington police said Walls also broke one of the security cameras that points towards the playground and broke several toys that were in the playground before leaving at around 2 a.m.
Monday's vandalism marks the sixth time police have arrested Walls in Monroe County in the last four months for criminal mischief and trespassing. Walls is listed as homeless in court records.
In one incident on July 25, police say Walls was captured on surveillance cameras at 3:12 a.m. throwing a rock through a glass door at an Arby's restaurant in Bloomington. The video also allegedly shows Walls walking away with his dog.
On Aug. 23, Walls was again captured on surveillance video at 9:05 p.m. taping a letter inside the entrance of the Henderson parking garage on the IU campus. He was arrested for criminal trespass because court records indicate he is barred from Indiana University properties until May 22, 2022, due to a previous trespassing incident.
The Islamic Center of Bloomington issued the following statement to 13News about Walls' arrest:
The Muslim Community of the Islamic Center of Bloomington is heartened by the news from the Bloomington Police Department regarding the arrest of a suspect who may have damaged our Center on Monday, October 18, 2021. We would like to thank them for their efforts and hope that the suspect will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted. It is critical that justice be served so that our community and others who care about us can feel more at peace. In light of this, we look forward to addressing the causes, not just symptoms, that lead to such damaging incidents.
The past few days have been difficult for our peace-loving community in trying to process the implications of the vandalism. We cannot but express our profound gratitude to individuals and organizations in the Bloomington community and beyond, especially the interfaith community for the outpouring of support. The overwhelming show of solidarity at this time of need has been a calming influence on our community.